Toronto signs DH to four-year extension, says 'he's a player to build around'

HOUSTON - Alex Anthopoulos planned on being in Montreal to celebrate Easter with his family as late as Thursday morning in Dunedin.

"Then, the Adam Lind thing began to move," Anthopoulos said after the Jays locked up Lind to a four-year, $18-million US extension with an option for more Saturday morning in Houston.

The Blue Jays general manager cancelled his Tampa-Montreal flight and told his wife Cristinia not to make the solo drive from Toronto to Montreal.

Business comes first for Anthopoulos, who honeymooned in Hawaii while on the phone with agents Randal and Allan Hendricks while the Jays made a run at Cuban free agent Aroldis Chapman. He missed Easter to get the deal done with Lind's agent John Courtright.

Two observations: Anthopoulos works long hours and married a woman who is a saint.

"They'll be cooking lamb outside (Saturday) and going to church tonight, it's the biggest holiday in the Greek Orthodox church," Anthopoulos said while sitting in the visiting manger's office at Minute Maid Park. "I called Montreal on Friday. My two brothers and their wives, my five cousins, my aunt, (who is) like my second mother, and three close friends that we grew up with, were all there."

But back to business. Lind has two years service time which means it's comparable to the four-year $12-million deal Aaron Hill was given in 2008.

"We believe in the player, just as we believed in Aaron," Anthopoulos said.

Hill hit 36 homers in 2009 and homered against Bud Norris in the first inning Saturday for his fifth homer in as many games.

But what guarantee do the Jays have that the Lind contract, instead of being more like Hill's, winds up being comparable to the seven-year $69.835-million extension the Jays gave Alex Rios, with three years service time, on the same day?

"It's hard to compare Lind and Rios," Anthopoulos said. "They are two different players. Rios is a five-tool talent with the ability to play centre. Lind is a pure hitter. It's not fair to compare.

"The organization believes in Lind. I believe in the person. He's an even better individual than he is a player."

Another comparison as a two-year player is the Seattle Mariners' Franklin Gutierrez, who signed a four-year $19.75-million deal, playing a premium position.

Lind won the Silver Slugger award at the DH spot in 2009, hitting .305 with 35 homers, 114 RBIs and a .932 OPS.

"The make up of the hitter is important," Anthopoulos said. "His baseball savvy is impressive. He surprises me with his baseball intellect and intelligence, as well as the things that he observes."

As long as Lind continues to perform as a hitter he'll be in Toronto until 2016. The three option years (2014-2016) have an average annual salary of

$8 million.

Anthopoulos thanked former GM J.P. Ricciardi, former scouting director Jon Lalonde, now assistant of baseball operations, and area scout Joel Grampietro, who signed Lind, at the press conference.

"He's a player to build around along with Vernon Wells, Aaron Hill and other young players we have coming," Anthopoulos said. "Not only is it an indication to our fans, but to others in the clubhouse. This is the type of player we want to make a commitment to down the road."

Since taking over as GM on Oct. 3, Anthopoulos has revamped the Jays scouting system as well as player development, hired a new coaching staff, signed free agents John Buck, Alex Gonzalez and Jose Molina, dealt Roy Halladay for three former No. 1s, traded Brandon League for Brandon Morrow, has almost signed Cuban shortstop Adeiny Hechevarria, got married and went to Hawaii on his working honeymoon.

"Maybe when we get to Arlington tonight," Anthopoulos said, "I'll round up (bullpen catcher) Alex Andreopoulos and (trainer) George Poulos and we'll go looking for a Greek Orthodox church."